Upwardly directed steam shower assembly



Oct. 15,1957 J. H. DUPASQUIER 2,309,867

UPWARDLY DIRECTED STEAM SHOWER ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 6, 195 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. JOSEPH H. DUPASQUIER ATTORNEY Oct. 15, 1957 J. H. DUPASQUIER 2,809,867

UPWARDLY DIRECTED STEAM SHOWER ASSEMBLY- Filed Aug. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOSEPH H. DUPASQUIER ATTORNEY United States Patent 7 UPWARDLY DIRECTED STEAM SHOWER ASSEMBLY This invention relates to the application of steam, in the form of a so-called steam shower, to paper while in the process of manufacture on a paper machine. The invention relates specifically to means by which such a steam shower can be directed against the paper or paper web, and, more particularly, to means by which the desired steam shower can be emitted and directed upwardly.

It is well known that a shower of steam on the paper, for example as it passes to the calender stack or calender rolls, or during its passage through supercalendering rolls, is an important aid in increasing the finish given the paper as well as serving to reduce curl, remove static and even up the moisture across the paper sheet. Also a shower of steam can be used after the paper leaves the calender rolls for the purpose of decreasing the finish, should such decrease be desired. For best results the steam shower should be directed against the underside of the sheet and the steam delivered against the sheet should, of course, be entirely free of drops or globules of water.

The object of the present invention is to provide an.

improved steam shower assembly by means of which steam will be directed upwardly against a traveling web or sheet of paper without any possibility of drops of water being delivered onto the paper with the steam.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel steam shower assembly in which all water particles which pass into the assembly with the delivered steam will be separated from the steam by means provided within the assembly and such separated water particles then collected and subsequently drained from the assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide an upwardly directed steam shower assembly of novel but simple construction which will be easy to install and which will require only a minimum amount of care in operation and maintenance.

With these objects and other incidental advantages in view-the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter briefly described.

In the following description reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure lis a foreshortened sectional elevation of the improved steam shower assembly, the sectional View being taken approximately along the longitudinal center of the assembly and thus on the line indicated at 1-1 in Figure.3;

Figure 2 is a corresponding sectional elevation-taken on the line indicated at 22 in Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line indicated at 33 in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the shower assembly taken from the opposite side of Figures 1 and 2, and thus on the line indicated at 4-4 in Figure 3; and

Figures 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating various locations with respect to the calender rolls of a paper machine in which the steam shower assembly could be set up.

a The assembly includes a main steam chamber 10 (Figures 1, 2 and 3), having a cylindrical wall 11 of sufficient length to provide the desired shower line length and adapted to be positioned horizontally and transversely beneath the traveling web or sheet of paper at the desired location for .the shower, the cylindrical wall and entire assembly being supported by any suitable means (not shown). One end of the cylindrical chamber is sealed by a closure'casting 12. A plate 13 closes the opposite end of the cylindrical chamber and thisjplate 13 is provided with an opening 14 to receive an inner pipe 15.

This inner pipe 15 extends the entire length of the chamber 10. One end of the pipe is received in a recess 16 (Figures 1 and 2) provided in the end casting 12. The other or outer end 15 of the pipe 15 extends outwardly through the circular opening 14 provided in' the end plate 13. As apparent from the drawings, the recess 16 and the opening 14 are in alignment with each other but are positioned off center with respect to the axis of the cylindrical chamber wall 11, for a reason later explained. Consequently, the pipe 15 is mounted within the chamber 10 with its axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of the cylindrical wall 11 of the chamber 10. A collar 17 is permanently secured on the outer end 15 of the pipe 15' in such position as to be located adjacent the outer face of the end plate 13 when the pipe 15 is in place in the assembly, and screws 18 which hold the collar 17 to the end plate 13, provide the means by which the pipe 15 is firmly but removably secured in the assembly. A suitable gasket 19, extending around the pipe end 15, and held compressed between the collar 17 and the end plate 13 by the screws 18, prevents the passage of any steam from the chamber 10 outwardly around the pipe 15 through the opening 14 The outer end 15 of the pipe is threaded and adapted to be c011 The bottom of the pipe 15 within the chamber 10 is formed with an inverted V-shaped section 20 (Figure 3) extending substantially the entire length of the chamber Ill, and'a series of steam jet holes 21 extend vertically downwardly through the ridge or vertex of the V-shaped section 20. This pipe 15 is identical in construction to that shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,642,314 issued under date of June 16, 1953, and entitled, Dripless Steam Shower Pipe, to which patent reference should be made. Thus the delivery of steam from an external source into the pipe 15 results in steam jets being discharged downwardly into the lower portion of the chamber 10' through the orifices or jet holes 21.

Water which collects in the pipe 15 will first settle in the bottom of the pipe in the two valleys or troughs 22 along the sides of the V-shaped section 20. A drain hole 23 (Figures 1 and 2) is provided in the bottom of the inner end of the pipe 15, and, when the pipe 15 is mounted in the assembly, this drain hole'registers with a downwardly-extending drain channel 24 formed in the end casting 12. This drain channel'continues through a drain hole 25 in the bottom of the cylindrical wall 11 and a drain nipple 26, mounted on the bottom at the end of the cylindrical wall connects with the drain hole 25 and the drain channel 24. The end of this drain nipple 26 is threaded and carries a removable cap 27. Whenever the steam shower is in use this cap 27 is removed and a drainage hose is attached to the drain nipple 26. Thus any water collecting within the pipe 15 is drained ofi and discharged from the assembly.

Along the center line of the bottom of the cylindrical wall 11 a series of drain holes 28 is provided in order to drain ofi any water collecting in the chamber 10 outside of the pipe 15. A drain trough 29 extends along the outside of the bottom of the cylindrical wall 11 ,the walls of this trough being welded to the cylindrical wall a leak-proof connection throughout the entire extent of the trough walls. The ends of the trough 29 are closed by the end plates 30 and 31 and the end plate 31 ispro vided withjan outlet port 32'and'a connected drain nipple 33 which has a removable cap 34'. This cap is removed when the steam shower is to be used and a drain hose is attached t'o'the nipple 33 tomake the draining otf of water from the assembly complete.

The top portion of the cylindrical wall 11 is formed with a. steam-shower-discharging slot 35 which extends longitudinally along the wall and is positioned a short distance to one side, as, for example, an arcuate distance of about 15 or 16, from the center line of the top of the wall and'thus from the vertical plane of the Wall axis (see Figure 3). This shower slot is substantially continuous for the major extent of the wall 11 (being discontinued'for a fraction of an inch at spaced intervals merely to allow bridging of the slot in order to provide necessary structural strength in the top of the cylindrical wall). While the width of this steam-shoWer-discharging slot may depend upon the size of the entire assembly, I have found that a slot with a width of approximately /4 inch is satisfactory for all practical installations.

As previously indicated, the pipe 15 is so positioned in the chamber 10 that the axis of the pipe will be located above and to one side of the axis of the chamber wall 11 (Figure 3). Preferably, although not necessarily, the the pipe is positioned so that its axis will be located on the same side of the vertical plane of the axis of the chamber wall 11 as the shower slot 35, and the pipe 15 is so positioned that there will be only slight spacing, for example from /8 to A inch, between the pipe 15 and the wall 13 where the two are closest together.

Due to the positioning of the pipe 15 to one side of the chamber 10, the jets of steam discharged vertically downwardly from the pipe orifices 21 will strike the inside of the bottom of the chamber wall 11 to one side of the row of drain holes 28, as illustrated by the arrows in Figure 3, and thus Will be impinged against the inside of the cylindrical Wall 11 along some such area as indicated at X in Figure 3. From this area of impact, the steam jets will rebound upwardly at various angles and be subjected to contact with the wall 11 at other points, and also in most instances to contact with the outer wall of the pipe 15, before reaching the shower-discharging slot 35. Consequently any particles of water which may be carried along in the jets of steam discharged downwardly from the pipe 15- into the bottom of the chamber 10 will bedislodged and separated out from the steam before the steam is finally emitted from the upper showerdischarging slot 35. While at least the major portion of the water received with the steam in the pipe 15 will be carried off from the end of the pipe 15 as previously mentioned, any additional water collecting in the chamber 10 outside of the pipe 15 will pass down to the bottom of the chamber 10 and drain through the drain holes 28 into the trough 29 from which such collected water will be drained off through the drain nipple 33 upon removal of the cap 34. Thus a multiple protection is provided against the deposit of any globules or drops of water onto the paper sheet against which the steam shower is directed.

As previously indicated, the resulting upwardly-directed steam shower is intended primarily to be used on paper in the paper machine immediately prior to, or during, or immediately after the passage of the paper through the calender stack or calender rolls, through the employment of the steam shower device is not to be considered necessarily as limited exclusively to such locations.

Figures and 6 illustrate diagrammatically typical installations for such a steam shower. For example, in Figure 5 the paper 36 is shown as passing through the calender stack 27. In one course of its passage through the stack the paper 36 is diverted over an outside roll 38 and the shower assembly, located at A, delivers the desired 4v steam shower onto the underside of the paper as the paper returns to the calender stack. Another similar installation is shown lower down on this same figure where the paper, diverted from the calender stack over the outside roller 39, receives the desired steam shower from the shower assembly located at B.

In Figure 6 a shower assembly, shown in C, delivers the steam shower to the paper 40 as it passes to the calender stack 41. A further suggested location for such shower assembly is shown at D, it being assumed here that it is desired to deliver the steam shower to the paper after the paper has left the calender rolls. The locations selected for the shower will, of course, be determined by the nature and characteristics of the paper which is being manufactured, the type of finish desired on the paper, and other purposes for which a steam shower treatment may be required.

I claim:

1. In a steam shower assembly, an outer housing having. a substantially cylindrical wall extending on a horizontal axis and a pair of end walls, a series of drain holes along the bottom of said housing, a longitudinallyextending steam shower-discharging slot in the upper portion of said housing, a steam delivery pipe within said housing extending the full length of said housing, the bottom of said pipe within said housing having a longitudinally-extending, inverted V-shaped portion, a row of steam jet holes extending downwardly through the vertex of said inverted V-shaped portion, whereby the steam jets from said jet holes in said pipe will be impinged against said housing wall and the steam in said housing will follow interrupted courses before being discharged through said discharging slot, a drain outlet for the inner end of said pipe terminating outside of said housing, whereby water collecting in said pipe will be drained off without passing into said housing, a drain trough mounted on said housing and extending along on said housing below said series of drain holes, and a drain outlet at one end of said trough, whereby all water particles will be separated ofi from the steam before the steam is finally emitted from said shower slot.

2. In an upwardly-directed steam shower assembly, a main housing having a substantially cylindrical wall extending on a horizontal axis and a pair of end walls, drain holes along the bottom of said housing, a longitudinally-extending steam shower-discharging slot near the top of said housing, a horizontal steam delivery pipe within said housing extending the full length of said housing, the bottom of said pipe within said housing having a longitudinally-extending, inverted V-shaped portion, a row of steam jet holes extending downwardly through the vertex of said inverted V-shaped portion, said pipe so positioned in said housing that the pipe axis will be located above said housing wall axis, whereby the steam jets from said jet holes in said pipe will be impinged against said housing wall and the steam in said housing will follow interrupted courses before being discharged through said discharging slot, a drain outlet at the inner end of said pipe, a drain channel in the adjacent end wall of said housing adapted to register with said latter mentioned drain outlet when said pipe is positioned in said housing, said drain channel terminating outside of said housing, whereby water collecting in said pipe will be drained oif without passing into said housing, a drain trough mounted on said housing below said first mentioned drain holes, and a drain outlet at one end of said trough, whereby all water particles will be separated off from the steam before the steam is finally emitted from said shower slot.

3. In a steam shower assembly of the character described, a main housing having a substantially cylindrical wall extending on a horizontal axis and a pair of end walls, a series of drain holes along the bottom of said housing, a longitudinally-extending steam showerdischarging slot positioned slightly to one side of the top line of said housing, a horizontal steam delivery pipe extending into said housing through one of said end walls, the inner end of said pipe mounted in the other of said end walls, the bottom of said pipe within said housing having a longitudinally-extending, inverted V-shaped portion, a row of steam jet holes extending downwardly in substantially vertical direction through the vertex of said inverted V-shaped portion, said pipe so positioned in said housing that the pipe axis will be located above and to the side of said housing wall axis, whereby the steam jets from said jet holes in said pipe will be impinged against said housing wall at one side of said series of drain holes and the steam in said housing will follow interrupted courses before being discharged through said showerdischarging slot, a drain outlet at the inner end of said pipe and a drain channel in the adjacent end wall of said housing adapted to register with said latter mentioned drain outlet when said pipe is positioned in said housing, said drain channel terminating outside of said housing, a drain trough mounted on said housing below said first mentioned series of drain holes, and a drain outlet at one end of said trough, whereby all water particles will be separated off from the steam before the steam is finally emitted from said shower slot.

4. A steam shower assembly including an outer housing having a substantially cylindrical wall extending on a horizontal axis and a pair of end walls, a series of drain holes along the bottom of said housing, a longitudinallyextending steam shower-discharging slot near the top of said housing, a horizontal steam delivery pipe extending into said housing through one of said end walls, the inner end of said pipe removably mounted in the other of said end walls, meansfor securing said pipe in place in said housing, the bottom of said pipe within said housing having a longitudinally-extending, inverted V-shaped portion, a row of steam jet holes extending downwardly through the vertex of said inverted V-shaped portion, said pipe so positioned in said housing that the pipe axis will be located above and to one side of said housing wall axis, whereby the steam jets from said jet holes in said pipe will be impinged against said housing wall at one side of said first mentioned series of drain holes and the steam in said housing will follow interrupted courses before being discharged through said discharging slot,

a drain outlet at the inner end of said pipe and a drain 4 channel in the adjacent and wall of said housing adapted to register with said latter mentioned drain outlet when said pipe is positioned in said housing, said drain channel terminating outside of said housing, a drain trough mounted on said housing below said first mentioned series of drain holes, and a drain outlet at one end of said trough, whereby all water particles will be separated oil from the steam before the steam is finally emitted from said shower slot.

5. An upwardly-directed steam shower assembly ineluding a main housing having a substantially cylindrical wall extending on a horizontal axis and a pair of end walls, a row of drain holes along the bottom of said housing, a longitudinally-extending steam shower-dis charging slot in the upper portion of said housing located a short distance from the vertical plane of said axis of said housing, a steam delivery pipe extending into said housing through one of said end walls, the inner end of said pipe mounted in the other of said end walls, said pipe being parallel to said axis of said cylindrical wall, the bottom of said pipe within said housing having a longitudinally-extending, inverted V-shaped portion, a row of steam jet holes extending downwardly in substantially vertical direction through the vertex of said inverted V-shaped portion, said pipe so positioned in said housing that the pipe axis will be located above said housing Wall axis and on the same side of the vertical plane passing through said axis of said housing wall as said steam discharging slot, whereby the steam jets from said jet holes in said pipe will be impinged against said housing wall at one side of said row of drain holes and the steam in said housing will follow interrupted courses before being discharged through said discharging slot, a drain outlet for the inner end of said pipe terminating outside of said housing, whereby water collecting in said pipe will be drained off without passing into said housing, a drain trough mounted on said housing below said first mentioned row of drain holes, and a drain outlet at one end of said trough, whereby all water particles will be separated ofi from the steam before the steam is finally emitted from said shower slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 231,038 Harris Aug. 10, 1880 2,642,314 Dupasquier June 16, 1952 2,727,788 Baker Dec. 20, 1955 

